gearsofwarfandomcom-20200222-history
Battle of Aspho Fields
The Battle of Aspho Fields, also known as Operation: Leveler, was a major battle during the Pendulum Wars. The Battle of Aspho Fields forever changed the course of the war for Imulsion.Gears of War Timeline Aspho Fields was a drained swamp area that led into Aspho Point, the place that housed the Hammer of Dawn Technology.Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 111 During the battle, Marcus Fenix performed many heroic feats which were remembered even after he was imprisoned. Order of Battle Prelude Three years before E-Day, a secret meeting of the COG's highest military command along with the head of 26 RTI Special Tactics Group Major Hoffman and Captain Michaelson of D-Flotilla the COG's maritime and amphibious assault units, two of the COG's smallest army units. After gathering intel on the Hammer of Dawn technology, COG High Command decided that such a weapon could not be allowed to exist in enemy hands. They soon formulated a plan to capture the technology, which became "Operation Leveler". It would commence with a fake invasion of the Ostri Republic via Berephus city.Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 162 This would cause the nation of Pelles to fear that the COG was after their stockpile of imulsion.Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 163 This would give Hoffman's Commandos enough time to steal the HoD technology and allow C company of the 26th Royal Tyran infantry to cut off all reinforcement to Aspho Point. Hopefully Ostri would send their troops to defend Berephus and Pelles send UIR troops to the border, thus reducing the chance of engagement. C Company began training at Merrenat Naval Base for the incursion at Aspho Fields, and was later transported to Fesor Naval Base to board the CNV Pomeroy. While they protected the perimeter of the HoD facility, Major Hoffman and his commandos were to kill or capture the Indie scientists Anna Meurig, Collun Bettrys and Mauris Ivo, and to obtain data on the Hammer of Dawn. Operation: Leveler COG Recon teams learned that the UIR, the antithesis of the COGs were building an orbital beam weapon that could be launched from space and change the course of the war in UIR favor. Major Victor Hoffman was ordered by his superiors to lead a small Commando force and a Pesangas volunteer team into Aspho Point by beachhead, raid, and capture key scientists that could create the Hammer technology. He was then ordered to kill the remaining scientists. The commandos gathered all of the data on the Hammer of Dawn, learning that a back-up was at a nearby army base. Dom alerted the CNV Pomeroy and they dispatched Petrels which leveled the enemy base. The commandos wiped out one Indie special forces squad and killed two guards, and made their escape via Marlin attack boats to be picked up by Sea Ravens, rigging the base to explode, which it eventually did. However, two UIR Khimera attack choppers caught up to them and destroyed one of the Marlins. The Gears in the other Marlin managed to shoot down one of the Khimeras, but the other one managed to stay out of range of their weapons. By luck, Marcus was in an enemy Asp with anti-air capability and shot down the remaining chopper. Dom dove into the water to rescue the survivors of the other Marlin, pulling as many aboard as possible, and then Dom piloted the boat into the cargo bay of the Sea Raven, an incredibly difficult task, that, along with his rescue efforts, earned him an Embry Star. Battle of Aspho Fields C Company of the of 26th Royal Tyran infantry lands north of Aspho Point under a diversion attack from Coalition naval forces, so as to block off UIR forces from reinforcing Aspho Point. But COG intelligence failed to see that the two UIR regiments bases are reinforced with mobile artillery and armored cavalry. At this point the commando team finds out that the UIR has a backup of the Hammer data in another location; the Coalition carrier Merit sends two Petrel fighter-bombers to deal with the backup, but they are both shot down by UIR AA and Asp armored cavalry units. C Company under control of Major Helena Stroud, Sergeant Kennen and Sergeant Mataki are ordered to attack the advancing UIR forces with long range Longspear RPG's, destroying several gun placements and taking out some anti-air. The battle seems to have been won for the COG forces, but heavier UIR forces stay out of range past the bridge, and began inflicting heavy causalities on C Company, which was quickly running out of Longspears. Within a few seconds C Company lost 20 Gears and Kennen. In the confusion, Marcus and Carlos charge UIR forces with their Longspears and take out several artillery units. Major Stroud at the same time attacks one of the UIR armored cavalry units and manages to throw grenades inside; however, her webbing snags on the Asp's chassis and she is stuck, unable to get away. The Asp is taken out, but at the cost of Major Stroud's life. However, one Asp still remains and will oppose any COG effort to evacuate the many C Company wounded via air. Marcus and Carlos took a few men to ambush the Asp, but the ambush fails. Carlos forgets to stay in cover and leads a final charge on the damaged Asp. The two other Gears with them follow him, but all three are shot; the other two Gears are killed immediately, but Carlos survives and pretends not to be wounded so that Marcus would not risk his life rescuing him. Marcus at this point commandeers the Asp and uses it to knock out the remaining UIR anti-air and covers the withdrawing commando team from Khimera attack helicopters.Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 304 At this point, the battle is mostly over, with the Hammer of Dawn data safely in COG hands and with C Company free to withdraw. However, Carlos is now seriously wounded in the top of his leg and in his abdomen and is on the bridge, begging Marcus and Mataki to leave him as he is probably too badly wounded to save. As Marcus prepares to make a rush for Carlos, a mortar round wounds Carlos again. Mataki prepares to shoot Carlos to put him out of his suffering, but Marcus is still intent on saving him; at the last moment, Carlos manages to commit suicide by fragging himself rather than risk the lives of his fellow Gears. Aftermath After the battle the survivors were brought aboard the fleet and were able to reach COG territory. A few weeks after the battle Marcus was rewarded the Embry Star along with Dom, Hoffman and Carlos, the highest possible honor in the COG military. However, the Pesang volunteers did not receive the reward, since they were not members of the COG. Major Hoffman was promoted to Colonel after this battle, and it would be his very last promotion, since he publicly embarrassed Chairman Dalyell in front of the media. Legacy The Battle of Aspho Fields gave the COG strategic advantage over the UIR by claiming the stolen UIR technology and used it to perfect the COG’s version of the Hammer of Dawn. Unfortunately it would take the COG three years to perfect the Hammer of Dawn and over thirty thousand COG soldiers would go on and die in the Pendulum Wars until Adam Fenix perfected the HoD and Chairman Dalyell threatens UIR Premier Yori Deschenko to surrender or face destruction. Republics' officials would surrender and the Pendulum Wars ended, three years after Aspho Fields. For C Company 26th Royal Tyran infantry, their dead are honored with an onyx slab at Halvo Bay.Gears of War: Judgment Act V Forty-two years after the end of the Pendulum Wars, First Minister Jinn gave a memorial service at New Ephyra to remember the Gears who died during that conflict and the Locust Wars. Behind the scenes The Battle of Aspho Fields was first mentioned in Gears of War, when Pvt. Carmine questioned Marcus Fenix if he fought there. Gears of War: Aspho Fields provided the first detailed account of the battle, while Gears of War: The Quickening provided the first visual depiction, but that depiction differed drastically from the novel and portrayed the battle as taking place in an urban setting. Gears of War 4 marked the first time the Battle of Aspho Fields appeared in a game, including it as a playable segment during the prologue. However, this also differed from the novel, omitting several characters and showing the raid as an attack on a heavily-defended UIR fortress where the Hammer of Dawn scientists worked. References Category:Battles Category:COG military victories Category:Events